Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui breaks stereotypes and thoroughly entertains

STORY: Manvinder Munjal aka Manu (Ayushmann Khurrana) is a health fanatic who owns a fitness center, and a bodybuilder who competes 12 months on 12 months to win the native championship. Whereas he’s centered all his energies on sweating it out and constructing his dole-shole for that (with little luck), his fitness center enterprise sees far and few footfalls. Till walks in, the head-turner, Maanvi Brar (Vaani Kapoor), the fitness center’s newly appointed Jhoomba (learn: Zumba), teacher. Quickly sufficient, sparks fly and the 2 are drawn right into a passionate relationship. However there’s extra to Maanvi than the beautiful lady that she is. And that types the crux of the story.

REVIEW: Love tales are love tales in any case. Largely, boy-meets-girl, some romance, mush-gush, battle, make-up or breakup, and finish of the story. Nicely right here, boy does meet lady, too, however she has a previous (not the cliché affair, marriage, little one out of wedlock or prison historical past), that turns into exhausting for Manu, with all his machismo, to bear. With out giving freely a lot (Story Concept credited to Simran Sahni), let’s say that Maanvi has courageously battled all odds, and ‘reworked’ into a brand new individual, somebody she has at all times pined to be. Whereas she feels liberated and is pleased with her new id, and one which’s true to her actual self, will society and her household embrace her alternative and settle for her for what they name, ‘not regular’ of their very regular world.

Director, Abhishek Kapoor, doesn’t beat across the bush and will get to the purpose immediately and shortly. After introducing Manu, his buddies and his household, he lets us into Maanvi’s world, slowly and subtly revealing her previous. Whereas making ready us for Maanvi’s revelations, he’s additionally readying us for Manu’s preliminary disbelief, shock and horror at discovering extra in regards to the lady he’s so intensely in love with. And when the second arrives, he handles it finely, with out an excessive amount of dramatisation or theatrics – in efficiency or dialogues.

Whereas Abhishek maintains light-hearted humour in most conditions, he handles the hard-hitting actuality of the topic with sensitivity and maturity. He lays all of it out – individuals’s crude and outrageous response on studying the reality in regards to the topic, our normal lack of expertise and data on a matter that must be addressed, and the way in which our society is sharply divided on the idea of being ‘inclusive’, and giving each particular person the freedom to be who they’re and what they need to be. Abhishek does it with tact and weaves in humorous punches – mushy and delicate, nothing too heavy-weight. Credit score additionally goes to Supratik Sen and Tushar Paranjape for his or her sincere and relatable screenplay and dialogues, which is obvious in a number of scenes. Be it the Munjal household pushing Manu’s to get married, his widower father (Girish Dhamija) ready to marry his Muslim girlfriend, Maanvi’s father (Kanwaljit Singh) being supportive of her selections despite the fact that her mom strongly disapproves, or Manu’s over-the-top sisters meddling in all of Manu’s issues—there’s by no means a uninteresting second, virtually all scenes as tight as Manu’s six-pack and bulging biceps.

The performances listed here are ‘tip-top’! Ayushmann Khurrana will get into the pores and skin of the character (actually!). Be careful for his superphysical makeover. He portrays Manu completely, and effectively, that proven fact that he’s in actuality a Chandigarh boy, should have certainly helped crack it. He seems to be, walks and talks the half.

Vaani Kapoor sinks her enamel into her character from the phrase go and offers a no-holds-barred efficiency. Vaani and Ayushmann not solely look nice collectively, but in addition share fiery chemistry onscreen.

Goutam Sharma, Gourav Sharma (as Manu’s twin buddies) are hilarious, Aanjjan Srivastav (Manu’s grandfather), Kanwaljit Singh, Tanya Abrol and Girish Dhamija play the supporting components very effectively.
Bindiya Chhabria’s manufacturing design is vibrant and cinematographer Manoj Lobo has fantastically shot this offbeat love story. Chandan Arora’s enhancing is crisp. Sachin-Jigar’s soundtrack with lyrics by Priya Saraiya, Vayu and IP Singh take the narrative ahead. Although the Holi tune initially appears to look immediately, it serves as an apt set off to maneuver Manu and Maanvi’s romance in prime gear.

In a put up Covid period, the place we’re grappling with what’s the brand new regular daily of our lives, it’s time we dig deep and query what’s ‘regular’ actually. Have we self-created norms and normalcy, to feed the wants of few on the earth who’re trapped on this false sense of what’s regular? Isn’t it time to shake issues up a bit, transfer out of the consolation zone and break the shackles of stereotypes? Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui does that, whereas nonetheless leaving you comfortably entertained.